2010 Spring Cultural Calendar

School of Music During the academic year, guest artists and faculty may schedule additional recitals. As these recitals are scheduled, updates will be posted on the School of Music’s Web site: www.music.sc.edu. The School of Music is located at 813 Assembly St., next to the Koger Center for the Arts. The recital hall is located on the second floor of the School of Music. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

OPERA at USC - Tickets can be purchased by calling 803-777-0058. For more information, contact Ellen Schlaefer, opera director, at eschlaefer@mozart.sc.edu. Tickets are as follows: general admission, $18; seniors, faculty, staff, military, $15; students, $5. Season tickets are available.

Feb. 6 and 7 --- “Riders to the Sea and other short works.” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 and 3 p.m. Feb. 7. School of Music recital hall. March 26 and 28 --- “The Marriage of Figaro.” 7:30 p.m. March 26 and 3 p.m. March 28. Room 208, new Band and Dance Building.

USC Symphony Orchestra - Directed by Maestro Donald Portnoy. All concerts are held in the Koger Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Carolina Coliseum box office or by calling 803-251-2222. For additional information, contact the symphony office at 803-777-7500. Ticket prices are as follows: adults, $25; seniors, faculty, staff, $20; students, $8. Season tickets are available.

Feb. 16--- Angelia Cho (violin) will perform Dvorak’s “Slavonic Dance in G major, Op. 46, No. 8” and “Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53.” The symphony also will perform Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68.” March 16 --- Arthur Tollefson (piano) will perform Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16.” The concert includes the winners of the 2010 University of South Carolina Concerto/Aria Competition, which is held Jan. 11. Winners are announced the following day. April 13 --- Marina Lomazov (piano) and James Ackley (trumpet) will perform with the symphony. The concert includes Mendelssohn’s “Fingal’s Cave Overture, Op. 26” and Shostakovich’s “Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings.” The symphony also will perform Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances, Op. 45.”

Faculty and guest artists -- Recitals and concerts featuring School of Music faculty and guest artists. Concerts are held at the School of Music recital hall and are free unless otherwise noted. For information, call 803-777-4280.

Jan. 19 --- Michael Becker guest artist trombone recital. 5:30 p.m. Becker is principal trombonist of the Tucson Symphony and visiting professor at the University of Georgia. Jan. 20 --- Philippe Geiss guest artist saxophone recital. 7:30 p.m. Over the last two decades, Geiss has established an international reputation as a virtuoso, having performed on his own and in ensembles in a variety of styles throughout Europe, South America and the United States. His discography includes more than 20 CDs, including “Saxophones and Percussions,” which won the French Recording Award for Chamber Music. He is a saxophone teacher in the Strasbourg Music Conservatory in France. Jan. 23 --- Strings in Silhouette. 6:30 p.m. Faculty and students perform to raise funds to send members of the USC student chapter of the American String Teachers Association to ASTA’s national conference. Event also includes silent auction and dessert reception after the concert. Jan. 25 --- The President’s Own Marine Band Saxophone Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 --- Charles Fugo faculty piano recital. 7:30 p.m. Fugo will perform works by Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt, Scriabin and others. Jan. 30 --- Indiana University Violin Virtuosi. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 --- Constance Gee faculty viola recital. 3 p.m. Feb. 1 --- Jennifer Parker-Harley faculty flute recital. 7:30 p.m. “Lyrical American Flute” with music by Robert Beaser, Joseph Schwantner, Jennifer Higdon and Aaron Copland. Accompanied by Lynn Kompass, piano. Feb. 2 --- RoseWind Duo: Cliff Leaman (saxophone) and Scott Herring (percussion) faculty recital. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 --- Scott Price faculty piano recital. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10 --- Paul Sharpe guest artist double bass recital. 7:30 p.m. Sharpe is on the faculty of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Feb. 16 --- Tina Milhorn Stallard (soprano) and Lynn Kompass (piano) faculty recital. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 --- Jangeun Bae Sextet guest artist jazz recital. 7:30 p.m. Guest artists Jangeun Bae, piano and Rodrigo Villanueva, drumset. Feb. 21 --- Professor Emeritus John Kenneth Adams: “Piano Portrait-Ruins and Eagles’ Feathers.” Piano music by Robert Schumann and Fredric Chopin. 3 p.m. 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the births of Schumann and Chopin. “Piano Portrait” draws its title from Schumann’s famous remark upon hearing the Chopin “preludes” for the first time. It will contrast their vastly different lifestyles and feature some of their most endearing piano music. This PowerPoint presentation combines commentary, visual imagery and live performance. Feb. 23 --- Nathan Williams guest artist clarinet recital. 7:30 p.m. Williams is professor of clarinet at the University of Texas. Feb. 25 --- Jennifer Parker-Harley (flute) and Constance Gee (viola) faculty recital. 7:30 p.m. March 2 --- Jean-Michael Goury Saxophone Ensemble. 7:30 p.m. Goury is one of the world’s foremost interpreters of contemporary masterworks for the saxophone. March 15 --- Clifford Leaman faculty saxophone recital. 7:30 p.m. March 18 --- Danny Jenkins countertenor faculty recital. 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. March 23 --- Raphael Sanders guest artist clarinet recital. 7:30 p.m. Dr. Sanders is associate professor of clarinet at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. He is a member of the acclaimed Texas Clarinet Consort and performs as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe. March 24 --- Jill Felber guest artist flute recital. 7:30 p.m. Felber, from the University of California-Santa Barbara, will be accompanied by Dianne Frazer on piano. March 30 --- Peter Kolkay faculty bassoon recital. 7:30 p.m. March 31 --- Harold Van Schaik guest artist bass trombone recital. 5:30 p.m. Van Schaik is a member of The Florida Orchestra. April 13 --- Daphne Gerling guest artist viola recital. 4 p.m. Gerling is on the faculty at Valdosta State University. April 19 --- Virginia Broffitt guest artist flute recital. 7:30 p.m. Broffitt is on the faculty of Western Illinois University. April 20 --- Jazz faculty recital: Bert Ligon (piano) and Craig Butterfield (double bass). 7:30 p.m.

Jazz Ensembles -- Recitals and concerts featuring University of South Carolina musicians. All concerts are held in the School of Music recital hall and are free unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Laveta Gibson at 803-777-4336 or lgibson@mozart.sc.edu.

Bands and percussion ensembles -- Recitals nd concerts featuring University of South Carolina musicians. University bands are led by James Copenhaver, director of bands; Rebecca Phillips, associate director of bands; and Steven McKeithen, assistant director of bands, coordinator of athletic bands. Concerts are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact the Band Office at 803-777-4278.

Feb. 18-21 --- Band Clinic. Nightly concerts free and open to the public. Koger Center for the Arts. March 25 --- Palmetto Pans concert. 7:30 p.m. School of Music recital hall. March 29 --- Percussion Ensemble concert. 7:30 p.m. School of Music recital hall. April 1 --- Bands Spring Concert. 7:30 p.m. Koger Center for the Arts. April 15 --- Chamber Winds concert. 7:30 p.m. School of Music recital hall. April 25 --- Bands Open Air Concert. 6 p.m. School of Music recital hall. May 23 --- Palmetto Concert Bands Memorial Day Concert. 7:30 p.m. Koger Center for the Arts.

Chamber music and strings – Concerts are free and held in the School of Music recital hall. For more information, call the School of Music at 803-777-4280.

Contemporary music – Concerts are free and held in the School of Music recital hall. For more information, call the School of Music at 803-777-4280.

April 24 --- “New Voices” University of South Carolina Student Composers Concert. 7:30 p.m. “Southern Exposure New Music Series” concerts -- The “Southern Exposure New Music Series,” under the direction of John Fitz Rogers, regularly performs recent music as well as classic compositions from the past. Held in the School of Music recital hall, these concerts are standing room only, and early arrival is suggested for seating. While the concerts are free and open to the public, for a donation of $75 or more, patrons may reserve one seat for the entire 2009-10 Southern Exposure season. Feb. 27 --- Exposed Wiring IV with Odd Appetite and Susan Fancher, saxophone. 7:30 p.m. Based in New York City, Odd Appetite is the duo of performers/composers Ha-Yang Kim (cello) and Nathan Davis (percussion). Both classically trained in American and European conservatories, Odd Appetite composes, collaborates and performs its own music, written for this unique instrumentation, as well as performing commissioned works by select composers. Susan Fancher is one of the pioneers of her generation of saxophonists. Her work has produced dozens of commissioned works by contemporary composers, as well as published transcriptions of music by composers as diverse as Josquin Desprez, Ben Johnston and Steve Reich. April 16 --- Los Angeles Piano Quartet. 7:30 p.m. The Los Angeles Piano Quartet, with Michi Wiancki (violin), Katherine Murdoch (viola), Steven Doane (cello) and Xak Bjerken (piano) made its debut at The Music Center in Los Angeles in 1977 and earned a reputation as America’s premier piano quartet. Performing extensively nationally and internationally, the quartet has been an active force in the creation of new works for piano quartet, commissioning works from such prominent contemporary composers as Stephen Hartke, Gerard Schurmann and Steven Stucky.

“Chamber Innovista Series” -- The School of Music presents the second season of its new chamber music series. This 2009-10 season will include three concerts. In keeping with the University Of South Carolina Innovista approach of “Live, Work, Learn, Play,” “Chamber Innovista” provides a world-class collection of innovative and original chamber-music performances. Be a part of this exciting new series by visiting the Innovista Web site: http://innovista.sc.edu. Call 803-576-5763 to reserve your series ticket package.

March 1 --- Carolina Trombone Collective Concert. 7:30 p.m. School of Music recital hall. March 18 --- Women’s and Gender Studies event. 7:30 p.m. School of Music recital hall. Danny Jenkins, assistant professor of music, will perform countertenor recital. March 27 --- Claudia Stevens: “An Evening with Madame F.” 8:30 p.m. School of Music recital hall. Stevens is on the music faculty at the College of William and Mary. Co-sponsored by the departments of history and theatre and dance, School of Music, Jewish Studies Program and Women’s and Gender Studies Program. April 17 --- South Carolina Day of Percussion. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., School of Music recital hall. The South Carolina Day of Percussion is an annual event organized by the South Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. The event features concerts, clinics and master classes by leaders in the field of percussion. May 3 --- String Project String Concert. 7 p.m. Koger Center for the Arts. Community and children’s programs

“Music Play” --- Spring Session is Jan. 13 - March 27. “Music Play” classes at University of South Carolina Children’s Music Development Center are part of an innovative program designed to develop the music potential of young children. Children can participate in “Music Play” from birth through age 5. Children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver during each class. Cost is $100 for 10 classes. Contact: 803-777-4065, e-mail CDMC@mozart.sc.edu or visit the Web site at http://www.music.sc.edu/Special_Programs/CMDC/intro.html.

Summer camps and programs

June 13-19 --- The Southeastern Piano Festival --- The Southeastern Piano Festival was created to provide outstanding training for aspiring young pianists and to offer a showcase of piano performances with celebrated and new artists. Twenty young pianists will receive daily private lessons with University of South Carolina faculty members, participate in master classes with a guest artist and be offered invaluable opportunities to perform in a professional concert setting. Each day concludes with an evening performance by a guest artist, university piano faculty members or festival students. All events are open to the public, and many are free to attend. For more information, go to the SEPF Web site: http://sepf.music.sc.edu. Tickets for evening concerts can be purchased by calling 803-576-5763. June 20 – 25 --- University of South Carolina Band Camp --- The School of Music offers a band camp for students in grades 7 - 12. Instruction for drum major, marching percussion, symphonic band and symphonic percussion is available. Contact the Band Office at 803-777-4278, or e-mail USCBand@mozart.sc.edu for more information. June 20 – 25 --- Carolina Summer Music Conservatory --- School of Music faculty lead students in an intensive, one-week session that focuses on individual performance and chamber music. The conservatory is open to students in grades 9 - 12. Activities include master classes with Carolina faculty and other professional musicians, as well as chamber music coaching and private lessons. Students will rehearse and perform solo works with professional accompanists and will attend music events featuring conservatory faculty members. Evening concerts featuring School of Music faculty are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Clifford Leaman at 803-576-5893 or cleaman@mozart.sc.edu. July 5 – 8 --- USC String Project Summer Camp --- USC String Project offers an annual summer camp for students in grades 3 - 12 who are studying string music. Students will have daily group music instruction culminating with a Thursday afternoon concert. Open to all students who have completed one year of instruction. For information, call 803-777-9568, or e-mail uscsp@mozart.sc.edu.

Theatre South Carolina

NEW FOR THE 09/10 SEASON: Curtain Times for Theatre South Carolina productions are as follows: Wednesdays through Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 p.m. (plus 11 p.m. for half-price performances on first Saturday); Sundays, 3 p.m. Tickets are $16 for the public; $14 for university faculty and staff, seniors (age 60+) and the military; and $10 for students. Season-ticket holders see four shows for the price of three and can use their tickets in any combination for any show. Group tickets are available for parties of 10 or more. For more information, call 803-777-2551, or go to the Web site: http://www.cas.sc.edu/THEA/.

Main Stage Productions Feb. 19 – Feb. 28 --- “The Arabian Nights” by Mary Zimmerman. Longstreet Theatre. Theatre South Carolina brings to life the magical folk tales of ancient Persia in “The Arabian Nights,” an imaginative retelling of the legend of the “One Thousand and One Nights.” Angered by his first wife’s betrayal, a Persian king vows to marry a different virgin every night and then murder her at dawn to prevent future infidelity. The plan continues until he meets Scheherezade, the clever maiden who postpones her fate by telling wondrous tales whose endings she withholds until the following evening, thus delaying her execution. Experience the transformative power of storytelling in this enchanting spectacle from Tony Award-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman. April 16 – April 25 --- “The Winter’s Tale” by William Shakespeare. Drayton Hall Theatre. Shakespeare’s masterpiece demonstrates the full range of the Bard’s imaginative and lyrical power. The uncontrollable jealousy of King Leontes of Sicilia brings his family to ruin and severs the alliance between two powerful monarchs. Only the love of a daughter believed to be lost forever can heal the rift and bring about the king’s absolution. Bridging the worlds of tragedy and comedy, “The Winter’s Tale” is ultimately a beautiful fable about the redemptive power of love. Directed by special guest artist Kathleen Conlin, associate artistic director for the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival and professor of directing at the University of Illinois Department of Theatre.

Lab Theatre Schedule -- All shows are performed in the Lab Theatre, the university’s “black box” theatre on Wheat Street, across from Blatt PE Center. Curtain times are 8 p.m., and tickets are $5, sold only at the door.

Feb. 4 – 7 --- “Spinning Into Butter,” by Rebecca Gilman. Directed by David Britt. Feb. 25 - 28 --- Undergraduate Original Works. Undergraduate theater majors Steven Kopp and William Renken will present original works they have written and directed. April 22 – 25 --- “John and Jen” by Tom Greenwald (book and lyrics) and Andrew Lippa (music and lyrics). Directed by undergraduate theater student Zach Kennedy.

USC Dance Company

Under the artistic direction of Susan E. Anderson, alongside associate artistic director Stacey Calvert and distinguished artist-in-residence Kyra Strasberg, the university’s dance program has provided excellence in classic and contemporary dance performance for 33 years. In 2005, the university established a major in dance, and this year, the program celebrated the opening of new, state-of-the-art studios. Concert times and ticket prices for USC Dance Company are subject to change. Ticket prices for all shows except “Ballet Stars of NY” are as follows: $10 for students; $14 for university faculty/staff and military; and $16 for the public. Tickets for concerts held at the Koger Center for the Arts are available at the Carolina Coliseum box office or by calling 803-251-2222. Tickets for concerts at Drayton Hall are available by calling 803-777-2551. For details on dance concerts, call 803-777-0704, or visit the Web site: www.cas.sc.edu/dance/.

Jan. 15 – 17 --- USC Dance program hosts the “Youth America Grand Prix Dance Competition.” Drayton Hall Theatre. See the rising stars of American ballet and contemporary dance in this national competition for students ages 9 to 19 being hosted at the university. Free to the public. Times to be announced. Feb. 11 – 13 --- “Innovative Works.” 7:30 p.m. Drayton Hall Theatre. USC Dance Company in concert, featuring the original works of university dance artistic director Susan Anderson, contemporary dance instructor Thaddeus Davis, choreographer Ivan Pulinkala and more. March 20 --- “Ballet Stars of New York.” 7:30 p.m. Koger Center for the Arts. The fifth annual star-studded concert, featuring principal dancers of the New York City Ballet, directed by Stacey Calvert, with the accompaniment of the USC Symphony Orchestra. Ticket prices are $15 for students; $25 for second balcony; $30 for first balcony; and $35 for orchestra seating. April 22-23 --- “Coppélia” presented by the university’s Dance Conservatory. 6 p.m., Koger Center for the Arts. This comic ballet tells the classic tale of an inventor who creates a life-size (and life-like) dancing doll, which becomes the object of affection for a young suitor, willing to discard the real girl who loves him. Presented by the Dance Conservatory under the direction of Marissa Freeman and USC Dance artistic director Susan Anderson.

McKissick Museum

McKissick Museum exhibitions are free and open to the public. The museum is located on the historic Horseshoe and is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday. The museum is closed on Sundays and holidays. For more information, call 803-777-7251, or visit the museum’s Web site: www.cas.sc.edu/MCKS/.

Exhibits on Permanent Display:

~ Bernard Baruch Silver Collection -- a collection of the Baruch family silver (first floor). ~ “Natural Curiosity: USC and the Evolution of Scientific Inquiry into the Natural World” -- opened in fall 2007, the exhibit explores man’s relationship with the natural world and features more than 1,000 specimens gathered during the university’s history.

Exhibitions: Through Jan. 23 --- “Southern Satire: The Illustrated World of Jak Smyrl.” Jak Smyrl, from Camden, served as the illustrator and artist for “The State” newspaper from 1949 - 86. During his 37-year career, Smyrl created hundreds of caricatures of leading political and community figures, illustrations for magazine covers, and portraits for “The State” newspaper and “The Columbia Record” (a former afternoon newspaper). Smyrl masterfully understood the region in which he lived and connected with readers through personal reflections and an awareness of Southern culture and history (North Gallery, second floor). Feb. 13 – May 8 --- “Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art.” “Grass Roots” traces the parallel histories of coiled basketry in Africa and the United States. The exhibition tells the compelling story of the survival of African-American basketry over 300 years. “Grass Roots” focuses on the coastal town of Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River from Charleston, where basket makers have taken control of their craft as independent entrepreneurs. The exhibition features baskets made by contemporary American and African basket makers as well as historic examples, some dating to the early 19th century, from Lowcountry rice plantations and African villages (North & South galleries, second floor). May 22 – August 20, 2010 --- “Spring for Art! McKissick Museum Annual Fundraiser Exhibition.” An annual invitational exhibition of works by local artists who express the importance of the natural environment that constitutes the South Carolina landscape. Works include painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics and more. This annual event sponsored by the McKissick Museum Advisory Council, provides an opportunity for audiences to explore the ever-changing landscape of South Carolina as well as the wealth of talented artists throughout South Carolina. Gala event and reception will be held August 20, 2010 (South Gallery, second floor). May 29 – July 31 --- “A People of the Land: Lowcountry Portraits.” Vennie Deas-Moore has devoted much of her career to the exploration of vanishing traditions along the South Carolina Coast. Her recent photographic essay of black and white photographs documents the fishing, timbering, and farming industries of South Carolina’s Lowcountry through the portraiture of those who inhabit the waterways. As a native of McClellanville, she presents an “insider’s” unromantic view of places and people seldom seen. Her photographs present the interconnectedness of culture, the value of work, and the symbiotic relation between the long time black and white cultures (Lobby Gallery, third floor). May 29 – Aug. 15 --- “Order Now! Decorating the Modern Home.” “Order Now” will explore the symbiotic relationship between trade catalogs and decorative arts. Emphasis will be placed on how the objects were advertised as a method to define status and influence personal taste (North Gallery, second floor). Aug. 14 – Dec. 14 --- “A Celebration of the World’s Barrier Islands: The Batiks of Mary Edna Fraser.” Mary Edna Fraser creates colorful images that while seeming abstract, are accurate depictions of the South Carolina coast. Her dyed silk hangings and lithographic prints combine science and art. They are technically masterful and physically impressive. A licensed pilot, Fraser takes the views of the South Carolina coast she sees from her plane and converts the imagery into studies of the land and atmosphere. The beauty of her work brings up subtly concepts of conservation and nature as a force unto itself (South Gallery, second floor).

McMaster Gallery The McMaster Art Gallery is located in the department of art at the University of South Carolina, 1615 Senate Street. Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed weekends and all university holidays. For more information, contact gallery director Mana Hewitt at 803-777-7480 or mana@sc.edu.

December --- BFA & MFA Exhibitions. Weeklong exhibitions of works by graduating BFA and MFA candidates. Date to be announced. Jan. 15 – Feb. 23 --- Jonathan Brilliant. Brilliant, a Columbia artist, gathers materials from his natural environment and uses them to execute a site-specific installation. In this version, the natural environment is a coffee shop, and the materials are the wooden coffee stir sticks. The resulting work is ironic and labor intensive with a traditional craft-based sensibility. April 21 --- 55th Annual ART Auction. The popular event will be held in the Campus Room of Capstone House beginning with a preview party at 6 p.m. followed by the auction at 7 p.m. The art will be on display beginning at 1 p.m. that day for public viewing. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. May --- BFA & MFA Exhibitions. Week-long exhibitions of works by graduating BFA and MFA candidates. Dates to be announced.

South Carolina Poetry Initiative The University of South Carolina English department’s South Carolina Poetry Initiative is the state’s premier organization devoted to the art of writing, reading and hearing poetry. Many events and offerings are free. It is directed by English professor and poet Kwame Dawes. For more information on S.C. Poetry Initiative, contact Charlene Spearen or Carrie Young at 803-777-5492 or via e-mail at cmspeare@mailbox.sc.edu or carrie_eleanor@yahoo.com or visit the Web site: http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/.